Interactive data visualisations aren't just flashy infographics – they're a transformational form of immersive storytelling. By allowing an audience to explore the facts for themselves, interactives can make complex data relatable, and provide a deeper understanding of any story.

In this hands-on advanced-level course, Duncan Clark and Robin Houston – who create dazzling interactive data stories for the Guardian, including the celebrated global flight path map – will teach you how to create your own visualisations using freely available tools and your own JavaScript code. You'll learn the coding foundations for producing professional interactives, as well as techniques for creating charts and maps, and integrating audio-visual content. Find out how to make dry facts into exciting, engrossing and attractive visual stories that web users will want to share.

This course is for you if...

You're a journalist, campaigner or marketer who wants to turn complex data into high-impact stories

Please note this is an advanced level course which requires attendees to be comfortable with basic HTML, CSS and JavaScript. If you have no coding experience, you may find one of our other digital courses useful. If you are more interested in creating static infographics, please have a look at our other data visualisation courses.

Course description

This advanced course mixes classroom tuition in the necessary tools and skills, with practical exercises in which attendees will create their own visualisations from sample data sets using Mac computers. Topics covered on the day include:

Guiding principles for data visualisations and interactives

Tools for making charts

Tools for making maps

A HTML and Javascript refresher, and introduction to SVG

An introduction to the D3 JavaScript library

How to use transitions to animate objects and colours

Making use of buttons, clicks, hovers and mouseovers

Data visualisation with audio and video

Tutor profiles

Duncan Clark and Robin Houston are the co-founders of Kiln, a London-based studio specialising in data storytelling, from charts and maps to interactive documentaries. Duncan is a journalist and author by background and has a role as a consultant editor on the Guardian environment desk; Robin is a web developer and mathematician, who in a much earlier life, built the original Guardian website.